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The INDEPENDENT, December 7, 2011
Veterans can get help with issues
of post traumatic stress disorder
Veterans account for a trou-
bling 20 percent of our nation’s
suicides. This means that
every day in the United States,
an average of 18 veterans take
their own lives – or about one
every 80 minutes. Twenty-sev-
en percent of Oregon’s sui-
cides are veterans. From 2005
to 2010, active service mem-
bers took their own lives at a
rate of approximately one
every 36 hours
Post Traumatic Stress may
occur in those who experience
or witness intense violence, se-
rious accidents, or life-threat-
ening events. It can make peo-
ple feel angry, hopeless, fear-
ful, horrified, and over-
whelmed. Post Traumatic
Stress is treatable.
Many veterans and active
military balk at seeking help
through traditional channels
due to fear of negative career
impact, the stigma of perceived
weakness among their peers
and frustration with red tape.
Left untreated, the challenges
can intensify as they feel more
isolated.
“Often it’s family and friends
who see the conflict, but don’t
know how to help. We encour-
age them to call us day or
night” said Josh Groesz, Iraq
War veteran and Director of the
Military Helpline. “This is a tan-
gible way to truly thank people
for their military service”
The line is answered by a
highly trained and dedicated
team of volunteer crisis work-
ers, many of whom have mili-
tary backgrounds. All possess
a strong understanding of the
serious issues that can impact
service members and their
families, including the loss of a
job, family strife, alcohol and
drug abuse, home foreclosure,
post-traumatic stress, suicidal
thoughts and other medical
and health care concerns.
Service members, military
veterans and their family mem-
bers struggling with thoughts of
suicide, feelings they don’t un-
derstand, pain they can’t define
and questions that need an-
swers, receive immediate free,
anonymous assistance from
Oregon Partnership’s Military
Helpline – (888) 457-4838, or
they can chat securely online at
www.MilitaryHelpline.org .
Founded in 1993, Oregon
Partnership is a 501(c)3 non-
profit organization whose mis-
sion is to end substance abuse
and suicide. To learn more, vis-
it www.orpartnership.org .
Public urged to use antibiotics wisely
As we enter cold and flu
season, it’s important to be
aware of the correct use of an-
tibiotics, caution public health
experts.
“If you have a cold or the flu,
antibiotics won’t work for you,”
said Ann Thomas, M.D., of the
Oregon Health Authority’s Pub-
lic Health Division.
This is the simple message
being passed from nursing,
pharmacy and physician assis-
tant students and to children in
21 Oregon school districts.
The campaign is part of an
innovative collaboration among
six Oregon health professional
schools and the Oregon Al-
liance Working for Antibiotic
Resistance
Education
(AWARE). Thomas is medical
director
for AWARE,
a
statewide coalition promoting
the appropriate use of antibi-
otics.
So what’s the problem with
taking antibiotics when they’re
not needed? According to
Thomas, a few facts sum up
the reasons to worry about
overuse of antibiotics:
• It’s estimated that more
than half of antibiotics pre-
scribed for respiratory illnesses
like coughs and colds are un-
necessary.
AIUSA likes the Governor’s stand on death penalty
In response to Oregon Gov.
John Kitzhaber’s announce-
ment to halt executions in the
state during his administration,
Amnesty International USA
(AIUSA) Death Penalty Aboli-
tion Campaigner Brian Evans
issued the following comment:
“Amnesty International wel-
comes Gov. Kitzhaber’s rejec-
tion of the death penalty. He
has courageously joined the
Mariolino’s Come in from
the Cold
growing chorus of responsible
elected officials who have real-
ized that the death penalty can-
not be fixed, and that there are
better ways to protect public
safety and honor victims’ fami-
lies.”
AIUSA activists worked to
repeal the death penalty in
New Jersey, New Mexico and
Illinois, in addition to Oregon.
For more information, visit
www.amnestyusa.org/abolish .
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• Taking antibiotics when
you don’t need them, or not as
prescribed, increases your risk
of getting an infection later that
resists effective antibiotic treat-
ment.
• Side effects to antibiotics
are another drawback; allergic
reactions to antibiotics, such as
rash and anaphylaxis, send
thousands of patients to the
emergency room yearly.
By teaching students who
are just starting their health
care careers about appropriate
antibiotic use – students who
then pass this knowledge on to
school children using games
and activities designed for chil-
dren in kindergarten through
sixth grades – AWARE is train-
ing both health care providers
and consumers about the haz-
ards of inappropriate use.
For consumers who are con-
cerned about preventing the
spread of antibiotic-resistant
bacteria and want to avoid
health risks from the improper
use of antibiotics, Oregon
AWARE has three key mes-
sages:
• Don’t pressure your clini-
cian to prescribe antibiotics for
viral infections such as colds or
flu.
• If antibiotics are pre-
scribed, take every dose –
even if your symptoms im-
prove. Not finishing the treat-
ment contributes to the devel-
opment of resistant bacteria.
• Never share antibiotics.
Taking a prescription that isn’t
yours or using leftover antibi-
otics to try and treat an illness
can cause adverse reactions.
The AWARE partnership in-
cludes physicians, health care
providers, public health agen-
cies, and representatives from
higher education and commu-
nity organizations. Founded in
2001 out of concern for the
growing problem of antibiotic
resistance, Oregon AWARE is
one of 10 state and local pro-
grams coordinated through the
U.S. Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention’s “Get
Smart: Know When Antibiotics
Work” campaign.
To find out what you can do
to help promote the safe use of
antibiotics and to learn more
about Oregon AWARE, go to
healthoregon.org/antibiotics or
call 971-673-1100.
Columbia County
Mental Health
800-294-5211
-----------------
Suicide Hotline
1-800-
784-2433
or
1-800-273-
TALK(8255)
Domestic Abuse
Hotline
503-397-6161
or
866-397-6161
-----------------
Military Helpline
888-HLP-4-VET
(888-457-4838)